Governing the marine environment

Environmental Audit Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 16 Dec 2024 Parliament page
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on governing the marine environment, which will focus on the UK's environmental obligations under marine treaties and how the UK is delivering on them, as well as the Government's strategy for marine planning and protection in its domestic waters. Read the call … Read more
18 Recommendations
10 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
6 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
16 Oct
2025
Correspondence
9 Sep
2025
Report published
9 Sep
2025
Correspondence
26 Jun
2025
Correspondence
6 Jun
2025
Correspondence
5 Jun
2025
Report published
2 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
2 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
6 Mar
2025
Correspondence
5 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
5 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
12 Feb
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
2 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1; Panel 2
Emma Hardy MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Helen Mulvein OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Michelle Willis · Marine Management Organisation Mike Rowe · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Olivia Thomas · The Crown Estate Ronan O’Hara · Crown Estate Scotland The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
5 Mar 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Bell · UNESCO Biosphere, North Devon Benj Sykes · Ørsted UK Jacques Villemot · Rewilding Britain Mark Russell · The Children’s Society Mark Simmonds · The British Ports Association Mike Cohen · National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO)
29 Jan 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Dr Gemma Harper OBE · Joint Nature Conservation Committee Gareth Cunningham · Marine Conservation Society Jennifer Godwin · Seabed User and Developer Group Professor Heather Koldewey · Zoological Society of London Professor Melanie Austen · University of Plymouth
8 Jan 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Alan Evans · National Oceanography Centre David Tomaney · UK Hydrographic Office Dr Michaela Schratzberger · Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) Professor Malgosia Fitzmaurice · Queen Mary University of London Professor Philippa Webb · University of Oxford Professor Richard Barnes · University of Lincoln
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report - Governing the marine environment HC 551 5 Jun 2025 28 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
6 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Update the outdated Marine Policy Statement at the earliest opportunity
The current Marine Policy Statement is outdated, not fit for purpose and no longer reflects Government policy or pressures on the marine environment. It therefore must be updated at the earliest opportunity. (Conclusion, Paragraph 33)
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to update the Marine Policy Statement, citing its resource-intensive nature and stating that efforts are focused on other strategic marine spatial planning and delivering a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2027.
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7 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Urge Ministers to issue revised Marine Policy Statement by January 2026 reflecting pressures
We urge Ministers to issue a revised Marine Policy Statement no later than January 2026. The updated statement should reflect the current and evolving pressures on the marine environment, clearly outline the Government’s priorities for marine usage, and set out … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to issue a revised Marine Policy Statement by January 2026, citing that it would be too resource-intensive, parts are superseded by existing commitments (no new oil and gas licenses), and they are developing a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2027 instead.
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17 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Whole-site marine protection via HPMAs proven effective and critical for habitat recovery.
Marine habitats are interconnected, and the health of one area impacts the entire ecosystem. Scientific research has provided evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of a whole-site approach to marine protection, which is enabled in Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA). Therefore, … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to designate more Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) or set a specific target, stating its priority is effective management of existing MPAs and that compensatory MPAs funded by the MRF have a different objective.
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18 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Expand Highly Protected Marine Areas network to 10% of UK waters by 2030, publishing designation plan.
We urge the Government to expand the network of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) to 10% of UK waters by 2030 to meet 30by30 targets, based on the evidence of their effectiveness in enabling marine nature recovery. The Marine Recovery … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to expand HPMAs to 10% of UK waters by 2030 and publish a plan by January 2026, disagreeing with setting specific HPMA targets. They state that 40% of English waters are already MPAs, meeting the 30by30 target, and they are reviewing the overall MPA network, which will consider the role of further HPMAs.
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Government Response AI assessment · 28 of 18 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 13
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 1
Rejected 4
Total 18 recs + 10 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
16 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to the Government response to the Governing the Marine Environment report
Parliament page
9 Sep 2025 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to Governing the Marine Environment: Government Response, 9 September 2025
Parliament page
26 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, FCDO, responding to the 6 June 2025 joint EAC and IDC letter to the Prime Minister relating to protection of the marine environment, dated 19 June 2025
Parliament page
6 Jun 2025 To committee Joint letter from the Chairs of the Environmental Audit Committee and the International Development Committee to the Prime Minister, relating to protection of the marine environment, dated 6 June 2025
Parliament page
6 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, responding to the Committee's letter relating to Government proposals for consenting processes for offshore infrastructure projects, dated 3 March 2025
Parliament page
12 Feb 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair of the Committee to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, relating to Government proposals for consenting processes for offshore infrastructure projects, dated 11 February 2025
Parliament page